Wherein Technology Stymies Me
Sep. 13th, 2006 09:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rowynLut and I went to Costco. In the electronics section of the store, they were playing a song by a Scottish group: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". "But I would walk 500 miles/ And I would walk 500 more/ Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles/ To fall down at your door". I bounced along to the tune. "I tried to buy this from iTunes," I told Lut, "but they didn't have it. I was so disappointed."
When we got home, the chorus was still going through my head; even listening to Nightwish during my evening run did not drive it off for good. I made another stab at finding it on iTunes. iTunes gave me two matches on "I'm Gonna Be", neither of which were by the Proclaimers. I wasn't actually sure if the version I was familiar with had been by the Proclaimers or not, but it seemed the most likely candidate based on Google searches. I debated buying the iTunes version. I went to Amazon and tried to listen to a clip from the Proclaimers' "best of" album to verify the version, but the clip-player didn't work. I went back to iTunes, planning to fork over my $.99 and see what the version they had sounded like. On my new search, I put in the full name including paranthetical bit -- and discovered that they did have it by "The Proclaimers" (with "The" as part of the band name). Apparently their library is better than their search algorithm.
I clicked "buy song" and entered my password.
"Download iTunes 7.0 to continue using the Music Store" iTunes ordered me cheerfully.
"Great," I said to Lut. "Now it's requiring me to upgrade in order to give them money."
"Sounds like it's time to try another service. What was that one I sent you -- eMusic?"
I located eMusic again, since iTunes had just busted their main advantage of "But I already have this program". I filled in my name, address, email, credit card information, medical history, shoe size, and the rights to my firstborn child* and eventually was permitted to search eMusic's catalog and download music. I looked for "The Proclaimers".
They had two albums by the group, neither of which included "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".
I searched for the song title, having learned from my search experience on iTunes. I got one match, for a group called "Najawajean". EMusic identified the band's genre as "Alternative/Punk". The cover art was a photo of a woman in a purple knit top. "Somehow," I said to Lut, "I don't think this is the version I'm looking for." On a whim, I downloaded it anyway -- what the heck, I get 25 "free" during the eMusic trial period. (It's a subscription-based service: $X per month for Y downloads.)
I giggled at the slow but still distinctive start. As the female vocalist sang the second line: "I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you", Lut remarked, "There's something not quite right about that."
Defeated, I returned to iTunes, downloaded the 7.0 version, rebooted my computer, fired it up, promised them my firstborn child** suffered through it "updating my iPod" -- "Why are you updating my iPod? I told you last version not to mess with it unless I asked!" told it that no, I still didn't want to upgrade my iPod software ("And I didn't want Quicktime either, thanks so much for not asking") and eventually managed to get it to agree to take my money and give me a song. I went to the "Recently Added" playlist to listen to it. "Your computer is not authorized to play this song. Enter your password now to authorize it." What the -- ? Fine, whatever, you can have my secondborn too just let me PLAY THE SONG.
An hour after I began my quest, the Scottish brogue of the Proclaimers' lead singer filled my den. "When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be/I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you."
Yes. Yes, this is the right one. Ah.
The song finished.
A song I didn't recognize began. "I didn't buy this song!" I exclaimed.
"Don't look at me," Lut said. "I've never heard it either."
It's "Kashi Vishwanath Gange" by Krishna Das. According to ITunes, I added it on 9/1/06, and the genre is "Meditation". Meditation? I listened, vaguely bewildered. The lyrics are -- Indian, I guess? After three or four minutes, I said to Lut, "I still don't know where this came from. But I think I like it."
"That's the important thing," Lut replied, philosophically.
So -- did any of you recommend "Kashi Vishwanath Gange" to me?
* On the bright side, I wasn't planning to have kids anyway.
** And if I do have a kid, there will either be an awful custody suit or a really ugly Soloman-style solution here.
When we got home, the chorus was still going through my head; even listening to Nightwish during my evening run did not drive it off for good. I made another stab at finding it on iTunes. iTunes gave me two matches on "I'm Gonna Be", neither of which were by the Proclaimers. I wasn't actually sure if the version I was familiar with had been by the Proclaimers or not, but it seemed the most likely candidate based on Google searches. I debated buying the iTunes version. I went to Amazon and tried to listen to a clip from the Proclaimers' "best of" album to verify the version, but the clip-player didn't work. I went back to iTunes, planning to fork over my $.99 and see what the version they had sounded like. On my new search, I put in the full name including paranthetical bit -- and discovered that they did have it by "The Proclaimers" (with "The" as part of the band name). Apparently their library is better than their search algorithm.
I clicked "buy song" and entered my password.
"Download iTunes 7.0 to continue using the Music Store" iTunes ordered me cheerfully.
"Great," I said to Lut. "Now it's requiring me to upgrade in order to give them money."
"Sounds like it's time to try another service. What was that one I sent you -- eMusic?"
I located eMusic again, since iTunes had just busted their main advantage of "But I already have this program". I filled in my name, address, email, credit card information, medical history, shoe size, and the rights to my firstborn child* and eventually was permitted to search eMusic's catalog and download music. I looked for "The Proclaimers".
They had two albums by the group, neither of which included "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".
I searched for the song title, having learned from my search experience on iTunes. I got one match, for a group called "Najawajean". EMusic identified the band's genre as "Alternative/Punk". The cover art was a photo of a woman in a purple knit top. "Somehow," I said to Lut, "I don't think this is the version I'm looking for." On a whim, I downloaded it anyway -- what the heck, I get 25 "free" during the eMusic trial period. (It's a subscription-based service: $X per month for Y downloads.)
I giggled at the slow but still distinctive start. As the female vocalist sang the second line: "I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you", Lut remarked, "There's something not quite right about that."
Defeated, I returned to iTunes, downloaded the 7.0 version, rebooted my computer, fired it up, promised them my firstborn child** suffered through it "updating my iPod" -- "Why are you updating my iPod? I told you last version not to mess with it unless I asked!" told it that no, I still didn't want to upgrade my iPod software ("And I didn't want Quicktime either, thanks so much for not asking") and eventually managed to get it to agree to take my money and give me a song. I went to the "Recently Added" playlist to listen to it. "Your computer is not authorized to play this song. Enter your password now to authorize it." What the -- ? Fine, whatever, you can have my secondborn too just let me PLAY THE SONG.
An hour after I began my quest, the Scottish brogue of the Proclaimers' lead singer filled my den. "When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be/I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you."
Yes. Yes, this is the right one. Ah.
The song finished.
A song I didn't recognize began. "I didn't buy this song!" I exclaimed.
"Don't look at me," Lut said. "I've never heard it either."
It's "Kashi Vishwanath Gange" by Krishna Das. According to ITunes, I added it on 9/1/06, and the genre is "Meditation". Meditation? I listened, vaguely bewildered. The lyrics are -- Indian, I guess? After three or four minutes, I said to Lut, "I still don't know where this came from. But I think I like it."
"That's the important thing," Lut replied, philosophically.
So -- did any of you recommend "Kashi Vishwanath Gange" to me?
* On the bright side, I wasn't planning to have kids anyway.
** And if I do have a kid, there will either be an awful custody suit or a really ugly Soloman-style solution here.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 10:35 am (UTC)But unless you did as well...I don't know.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 12:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 07:48 pm (UTC)===|==============/ Level Head
no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 12:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 06:22 pm (UTC)Wait, that's not quite true. (I love the wheel, and plumbing.)
I hate unnecessary upgrades to technology. ':P
That is all. For now.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 07:14 pm (UTC)IMHO iTunes and similiar "music services" should be labeled beta .001 versions, due to their built-in frustration quotient.
That's why if/when I buy music, I mostly buy from the local "pre-enjoyed" music store. Discs are reasonably priced, 100% guaranteed to work, and the buyers can audition the disc(s) as much as needed to make sure they're what's wanted before the ritual "handing over of the green" or "swiping of the plastic"--- ;)
Really lo-tech, but buying from the store helps feed a worthy businessman who, besides stocking a fine selection of new and used discs of all genres, also stocks hard-to-find items and "import" discs, and will custom-order anything available.
Happy Birthday!
Date: 2006-09-18 08:43 pm (UTC)Re: Happy Birthday!
Date: 2006-09-20 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-19 02:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-20 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-19 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-20 04:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-19 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-20 04:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-19 08:02 pm (UTC)Yarr!
Date: 2006-09-20 04:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-20 03:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-20 04:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-20 04:13 am (UTC)Anyway, Happy birthday! I don't have a current email for you...
I have an AMV to that song, have had it for forever. Its Ranma 1/2, of course. Guess which character it happens to feature?